The Island's two senior schools will retain their own Board of Governors after a U-turn by the education reform team on cluster boards.

The move will allow the Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy more self-governance, and is a result of Berkeley Institute's representations to the Interim Education Board (IEB).

Austin Thomas, chairman of the Berkeley Educational Society, announced the change in policy at a meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Education. He said the IEB made the decision on Monday evening.

Cluster boards were one of the main recommendations outlined in the damning Hopkins Report of May 2007. That review of public education described the Island's schools as on the "brink of meltdown".

In June this year, the education reform team recommended the creation of six boards – one for secondary and special schools, and another five for each of the middle schools, which would also be responsible for primary and pre-schools.

On Tuesday however, IEB chairman Philip Butterfield notified Mr. Thomas in writing that a decision had been made to allow each public senior school to keep its own autonomous board.

"I received the decision from him this morning," Mr. Thomas told The Royal Gazette. "I was advised (Monday) night they had reached a decision and he confirmed that in writing today.

"The IEB has accepted our submission that each senior school have its own board. It is a major issue we've been battling for some time, so we are very pleased.

"We are happy that The Berkeley Institute is to retain its structure."

Yesterday Mr. Butterfield declined to comment on whether the proposal for cluster boards for middle, primary and pre-schools was also being redrawn.

The cluster boards were to be responsible for federations of schools, with the aim of delivering a more coherent curriculum.

The new system of governance was inspired by the management of the Island's four aided schools (St. George's Preparatory School, Whitney Institute, Berkeley Institute and Sandys Secondary School), which were held up as an example in the Hopkins Report.

The aided schools expressed concern their boards of trustees would be dismantled under the new system.

Sandra Neal, former St. George's Prep PTA president, said although the plan will bring benefits to maintained schools, it was "not at all clear what benefits these changes will bring to the aided schools". She described the cluster boards model as "an unnecessary risk".

At the Joint Select Committee meeting this week, Mr. Thomas said it was only the autonomy of the Berkeley Institute which had led to its success over the years.

He said if the school had not "persevered" in its aided school model, and created its own "framework for enhancing educational instruction, accountability of teachers and sound fiscal utilisation or our fiscal and other resources", it would not have achieved so much.

Mr. Thomas said: "While it may not in all cases be explicit in the Hopkins Report, we certainly would argue that the spirit of that report gives some confidence that the aided school model and in particular, the path that we have adopted at the Berkeley Institute, is one that should be encouraged."

He said that although Bermudian children deserved "the very best that our country has to offer in respect of curriculum", Government had failed to ensure this over the years.

"Unfortunately, critical decisions which impeded the progress of the public education system towards this end have been consistently made by the Ministry of Education," he said.

During the Joint Select Committee meeting, Mr. Thomas launched a stinging attack, insisting a lack of attention had been paid to recommendations made to Government.

"Left to the Ministry of Education and others, the Berkeley Institute would not today be a school accredited by the Middle States Accrediting Body (and incidentally nor would CedarBridge Academy, our sister school who we encouraged to leverage on our initiatives). The Ministry of Education resisted this initiative for ten years," he said.

"Left to the Ministry, the Berkeley Institute would not be challenging students with a curriculum which offers certification that is externally accepted and recognised by employers and tertiary educational institutions – a curriculum that the Ministry of Education refused to let the Berkeley pursue for ten years and which was ultimately only implemented by the will and determination of the Berkeley Institute Board of Governors.

"Left to the Ministry, there would be no collaboration at all between ourselves and CedarBridge Academy."

Mr. Thomas added that the Joint Consultative Committee between CedarBridge Academy and the Berkeley Institute had recommended a document on the minimum acceptable standards for transition from middle school to senior school level, but this was "submitted to the Ministry of Education and never acknowledged or acted upon".

He said: "Central to these initiatives is that it is our level of autonomy that has allowed us and the public education system at the senior level to move forward in spite of the Ministry and other external factors."

Mr. Thomas said therefore, the proposed restructuring with cluster boards "would place the Berkeley Institute further at risk".

"Another 'blow', in the form of one cluster board at the senior level would do nothing but divert the attention of the Berkeley Board from this carefully developed strategic path that is producing better and better results," he said.

"We are not at all convinced that the cluster board model which depletes the Berkeley Board of its direct operational oversight and current momentum is the answer or desirable direction for the school or the system at large.

"We would argue once again that one cluster board removes the governors one further step from having the sort of impact on the day-to-day administration and governance – at both educational and operational levels, that is required if we are to generate the type of successes envisioned by the Hopkins Report."

He also questioned how disciplinary matters would be carried out. "The Society has some serious concerns as to how disciplinary procedures will be carried out in a system with one board," he said. "We are further convinced that, as much as is possible, site-based governance and operational control is the best recipe for system educational success.

"Further, the appropriate management of resources is better able to be effected at a site-based level where directed focus on specific financial needs can be accomplished."

"The Berkeley Educational Society in conclusion, submits that it is in the best interest of the system at the senior level that each of the senior schools be considered its own cluster, having the same level of autonomy and responsibilities currently afforded to the Berkeley Institute and other aided schools."